1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process information management system, and in particular relates to a process information management system for managing process information relating to production processes for producing plural kinds of products on a production line.
2. Description of Related Art
For example, in a factory where cars are assembled and tested, when building or introducing a new production line for a new model car, or changing the existing production line for improving the efficiency thereof, there is a necessity to assess the parts which are necessary for assembling the cars, and the work amount for calculating the cost of assembling those parts, with accuracy, so as to effectively organize efficient work processes. Therefore, a management system is used for managing information related to the work amount and the process information.
In this case, for such a management system, the following considerations are required: i.e., to compose or organize the most suitable production line by grasping or understanding drawbacks in configuration of the production line due to any imbalance in the work amount necessary for production, such drawbacks to be examined by evaluating the distribution in the work amount with respect to each model to be manufactured in the production line therefor; to evaluate the distribution of the respective work processes and examine the imbalance therein, so as to grasp any drawbacks in the configuration of the production line due to the imbalance and change the composition of the production line; and to compose the most suitable complex production line, by comparing and evaluating the distribution of the work amount in the complex production line with respect to the respective models and the respective work processes, and further by evaluating any imbalance in the work amount accompanying the differences in the constructions of the respective models.
A process information management system, with which process information can be processed immediately and effectively, is already known, for example, in Japanese Laid-open Patent Hei 7-168886 (1995).
In this process information management system, the process information is provided by combining work amount information for calculating the production cost on the basis of work procedures for assembling and testing plural kinds of products in a production line of a factory together with work information indicating the work procedures, and an element work record is formed by adding analysis information (i.e., classification information and search information) of the process information. This system is constructed by including a process organizing stage for organizing the work process by arranging each of the element work records in a time sequence, and a process evaluating stage for optionally analyzing the work process and for summing and evaluating the work amount which means the time being consumed on the work procedures, and therefore, the work processes can be recomposed in accordance with the result obtained from the evaluation, if necessary.
However, in the conventional process information management system mentioned above, when being compiled or compared on a basis of at least one of a plurality of items which can be set as classification information which is a kind of analysis information, only data which is inputted as numerical values can be used therein. Therefore, the kind of item (data) which can be inputted is limited or restricted when compiling or comparing it on the basis of the required set of items, and it is difficult to apply data which is complied or compared to the processing in other steps, thereby making effective use of the management system difficult if not impossible.
Further, with main or principal parts of the products, when adding application information for indicating whether the parts are to be applied to the product (the model) or not, or when adding information for designating (or specifying), i.e., an application code number, as classification information, a worker or operator who conducts the inputting operation must input the application information for the respective element work records on the basis of the application information for respective specifications of the main parts (a destination country for shipping, a grade, etc.) which are described on a parts-list in the form of a booklet. Therefore, the number of steps in the input operation is increased, thereby decreasing the efficiency in the input operation and prohibiting effective use of the system.
An object, therefore, in accordance with the present invention, for resolving the drawbacks in the conventional art mentioned in the above, is to provide a process information management system enabling effective use thereof.
For attaining the above object, in accordance with the present invention, there is proposed a process information management system for managing process information on the basis of work procedures, said process information relating to processes for producing plural kinds of products on a production line and including work information for indicating each of the work procedures and work amount information for indicating the work amount of said work, comprising:
process compiling means for producing element work information by adding classification information to said process information, for composing work processes by arranging said element work information, and for memorizing said element work information as a sequence of files when said element work information is produced;
process evaluation means for compiling partial work processes by classifying total work processes on the basis of said classification information, for summing said work amount information in each of the partial work processes according to the kinds of said products, and for evaluating said total work processes on the basis of a result of the summation of the work amount information according to the plural kind of said products;
classification information selecting means for selecting information to be set as said classification information; and
classification information addition means for adding the information selected by said classification information selecting means as said classification information.
In accordance with the present invention described above, there is also proposed a process information management system for managing process information on the basis of work procedures, said process information relating to processes for producing plural kinds of products on a production line and including work information for indicating each of the work procedures and work amount information for indicating the work amount of said work, comprising:
process compiling means for producing element work information by adding classification information to said process information, for composing work processes by arranging said element work information, and for memorizing said element work information as a sequence of files when said element work information is produced;
process evaluation means for compiling partial work processes by classifying total work processes on the basis of said classification information, for summing said work amount information in each of the partial work processes according to the kinds of said products, and for evaluating said total work processes on the basis of a result of the summation of the work amount information according to the kind of said products;
application information storing means for storing at least application information of each of main parts for each kind of said products;
application information selection means for selecting said application information stored in said application information storing means; and
application information addition means for adding information designating the application information which is selected by said application information selection means as said classification information.
In accordance with the present invention, there is further proposed a process information management system as described above, wherein said application information selection means includes means for processing a plurality of the selected application information into a single unit of application information, and said application information addition means includes means for adding information designating the application information after being processed by said application information selection means to said classification information.